Farmers and traders left in the dark as shutdown halts crop reports (Reuters): Thanks to the ongoing U.S. government shutdown, vital agricultural reports and export data have been suspended — leaving farmers and markets flying blind during harvest season.
Normally, USDA releases weekly and monthly updates — like export sales numbers, crop progress, and the monthly WASDE (World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates) report — that help everyone understand how corn, soybeans, and other crops are faring. But with those halted, growers and traders no longer have reliable official guidance on yields, planting outcomes, or global demand.
That’s a big problem especially now, when farmers are already dealing with low grain prices, dry weather, disease pressure, and uncertainty in markets. Without official data, traders and markets are relying on satellite estimates, private firms, farmer reports, and cash-futures basis analysis — which can give patchy or biased views. Larger agribusinesses that have their own data may gain advantage, leaving smaller farmers more exposed to market volatility.
In short: the silence in government reports is making it hard to price crops, hedge risk, or make smart planning decisions — especially during harvest season when every data point counts.
Policy Updates: Farmers and traders left in the dark as shutdown halts crop reports
Thanks to the ongoing U.S. government shutdown, vital agricultural reports and export data have been suspended — leaving farmers and markets flying blind during harvest season.
(Lindsey Pound)